2023-11-22 07:08:33
If the smell of Old Bay is in the air and the crack of crab claws is in your ears, it’s clear you’re near Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay. The Famous Maryland Blue Crab If there’s a food that the Chesapeake Bay — or really, Maryland in general — is known for, it’s Maryland blue crab. Named after their bright blue claws, these tasty crabs are a summer favorite around the bay. Maryland’s crab season starts in April and runs through about December. Early in the season, enjoy a rare Maryland delicacy: soft shell crabs. Despite having their own name, these crabs are actually the same species as Maryland blue crabs. The only difference is they’re harvested when the crabs are molting. At first, they have thin, papery casings, making them (you guessed it) soft shelled. And since the shells are so delicate, these crabs can be eaten whole — shell and all! Whether they’re pan seared or deep fried, this Chesapeake delicacy is one that you don’t want to miss. Since crabs only remain soft shelled for about 12 hours, hardshell Maryland blue crabs are the more common dish. Steamed and topped with traditional Old Bay or J.O. Spice, these piping-hot crustaceans are typically enjoyed with an ice-cold beer. But you can also add them to dishes like Maryland crab soup, crab cakes, crab-stuffed shrimp and crab imperial. Perhaps one day chefs will discover a meal Marylanders can’t improve with crab, but don’t bet on it. Taste your way along the Maryland Crab & Oyster Trail. Shuck & Slurp a Few Oysters In the colder months — September to April — wild eastern oysters are a Chesapeake Bay favorite. As natural filter feeders, oysters absorb their nutrients from the water. Each part of the bay has a distinctive salinity, impacting the taste and texture of oysters harvested in that area. While oysters from Lower Chesapeake Bay will taste creamy and salty, those from Upper Chesapeake Bay will have sweeter notes. This natural flavor variation makes Chesapeake Bay oysters some of the tastiest in the country. How to Pick a Crab 1 FLIP IT The key to every crab is on its belly. Starting at the top, pull off the thin strip of shell in the middle. On males, it looks like the Washington Monument, on females, more like the Capitol dome. Once you remove it, you can pop the top shell off the body. 2 CLEAN IT Crabs are steamed whole — that’s where that perfect flavor comes from — but you’ll want to remove some bits before you indulge. Take a finger and clear out the spongy gills on either side of the crab. 3 SPLIT IT With your thumbs on each side of the abdomen, break the crab in half and scoop the meat from the body. Some people love the yellow “crab mustard” in the middle, but for your first time, you might want to remove that, too. 4 SNAP IT Snap off the legs. If you get it right, each will come out with a bit of delicious meat at the end. The last leg is called the backfin and is home to “the jumbo lump,” also known as the best meat in any Maryland blue crab. You may want to save that part for last. 5 CRACK IT Grab your mallet and crack the claw on the bottom, just behind the pinchers and in the middle of the first joint. Then, snap them each in half. There’s good meat in those, and the claws are where most Maryland kids get their first taste of crab. 6 DO IT ALL AGAIN There are two particularly great things about a Maryland crab feast. One, it’s the only eating you get to do with a hammer, and two, you never eat just one. Cakes of the Chesapeake Bay One savory and one sweet, the Chesapeake Bay is known for two types of cakes: crab and Smith Island. If you’d like, you can arrange a cake-and-cake dinner and dessert. That’s a feast you won’t find anywhere other than Maryland. CRAB CAKES Historians can trace the origins of a crab cake-like dish back to the Native American tribes that lived on Chesapeake Bay. In the hundreds of years since then, many variations of crab cakes have popped up. Some include a cream sauce, many include Old Bay seasoning, and the best of the bunch include handpicked, jumbo-lump, Maryland blue crab meat. As for where to get the best crab cakes in the state, well, that’s a bit of a debate. In Baltimore, there’s Johnny’s in Roland Park or Faidley’s Seafood in historical Lexington Market — a Maryland legacy known for its large, no-frills crab cakes. Head to Grasonville for award-winning crab cakes at The Narrows Restaurant. Or enjoy an order of jumbo-lump crab cakes at Boatyard Bar & Grill in Annapolis, where the interior is decked out like an old yacht. You’ll simply have to try them all and decide which one is your personal favorite! SMITH ISLAND CAKE There’s also the sweet of Smith Island Cake: the official state dessert of Maryland and the perfect way to wrap up any iconic Chesapeake Bay meal. Smith Island Cake got its start way back in the 1800s on, you guessed it, Smith Island. While many of the town’s men would sail out and harvest oysters, their wives would whip up these 10-layer desserts made of pancake-thin yellow cake and decadent chocolate frosting. When the men headed out for the autumn oyster harvest, they brought along Smith Island Cakes to eat during the journey as a reminder of their lives back home. If you want the most authentic cakes around, make the pilgrimage to Smith Island itself to get them straight from the source at Smith Island Bakery.
©Maryland. View All Articles.